Working with major industry players often means proving you have a safety framework in place through a third-party procurement service. The application process for procurement websites like ISNetworld®, coupled with necessary account maintenance, is a huge undertaking requiring extensive time, organization, and system comprehension.
Having a professional help you navigate the vast safety requirements of different procurement databases prevents major errors and keeps your qualifications up-to-date and highly rated.
What are Procurement Databases like ISNetWorld®?
Procurement databases are designed to streamline the pre-qualification safety compliance process. The benefits of early clearance speed up project timelines, and major companies are increasingly adopting their use. This further complicates matters, especially for smaller companies, because it has opened the door for multiple safety clearing houses. ISNetworld® isn’t the only procurement database—Avetta, Veriforce, and others have their own systems and requirements you will need to learn and maintain.
Large operators want to ensure regulatory compliance before work begins. To do so, they require contractors to work with their approved procurement database provider. After paying to join, your company will apply by uploading the required information. Depending on how many companies you work with, you may need to join several databases. 
By bringing in a professional safety consultant, you can avoid procurement clearance pitfalls, speed up the certification process, and keep your account in good standing with a high rating.
Related Content: What Does it Cost to Hire a Good ISNetworld® Consultant?
ISNetworld® Compliance: What You Need to Know
To receive clearance on a procurement site like ISNetworld®, you may have to answer thousands of questions. How well you answer the questions and the documentation you provide generates your clearance rating. The higher your rating, the more attractive your company is to work with.
There are five basic steps to ISNetworld® compliance, but don’t forget that there are multiple steps within the basic framework—you’ll want to be attentive to these so you stay on track throughout the process. The basic steps are:
Gathering records
You will need three years of your OSHA 300 forms, EMR letters, your NAICS code, number of employees, employee hours, safety manuals, and training records.
Complete the Required MSQ
When you complete the MSQ, the information you enter must match the records provided from the information you gathered. You will need more data about your safety policies, general company information, and more.
Verify I-RAVS Insurance
Submit your insurance certificates proving your coverage matches the operator’s requirements. This may not be the same as the regular insurance you carry, so check your policy against what they actually require.
Submit OSHA 300s and EMR Letters
These must not only be submitted, but continuously updated. Don’t forget your answers to the MSQ must match what is on these forms.
Submit Safety Program and Training Records
There is no one-size-fits-all approach—different operators may require different program modules and training certifications beyond what you have already completed.
This is a time-consuming process requiring large amounts of data. Instead of going it alone, your safety consultant can remove the confusion and frustration of collecting, sorting, submitting, and monitoring your compliance information.
What Can an ISNetworld® Consultant Do For You?
An experienced safety consultant with specific knowledge of procurement websites like ISNetworld® can reduce errors and requests for more information, speed up the process of certification, and help design your programs to generate a higher rating. Additionally, they can monitor your account to ensure your company information remains up to date.
Some companies question the need for achieving and maintaining higher ratings, but by doing so, you stand a better chance of being noticed by large industry players looking to hire the most qualified contractors. For this reason, many companies are seeking out professionals to help them navigate the ISNetworld® and other procurement platforms. This professional service can give them a head start over their competitors.
SafetyPro clients often come to us for help from the start, but it’s also common to have people call for help after applying and receiving a long list of corrective actions. There are also instances where a job may be at risk if ISNetworld® compliance doesn’t happen quickly.
An experienced consultant can usually have everything done within three days, plus 7-14 days for the site review, critique, and response.
Procurement Site Monitoring
Once set up, your account will require continuous monitoring. This isn’t optional, as requirements frequently change, new questions and documents will be required, and updated documents will have to be submitted.
Keeping your qualified safety consultant on retainer offers you different levels of account monitoring, safety consulting, program reviews, coaching, OSHA record keeping, safety meetings, OSHA inspection response, and more.
As it becomes increasingly necessary for construction companies and contractors to become certified with ISN® safety compliance or other similar databases, staying ahead of the requirements is always the most economical way to ensure you’re ready to do business with a large industry.
What Does it Cost to Hire an ISNetworld® Consultant?
The cost of an ISNetworld® consultant will vary with the level of support you need. When you only need minimal support, such as completing the procurement forms and uploading a generic safety program to meet the minimum operator requirements, costs range from $800 to $1000 for implementation and $200 to $300 monthly for monitoring. This option is relatively inexpensive but is likely to give you a lower overall rating, reducing your ROI over the long term.
Enhanced packages help you take full advantage of the procurement system, including assisting with customized safety programs and ongoing monitoring that includes an on-call safety consultant to help with safety concerns. Initial costs are between $800-$1200 and monitoring varies from $300 to $800 each month. The slightly higher cost is a better investment, since you have set hours of consultant time instead of having to pay an additional hourly rate when you need assistance.
Save Time and Money with an ISNetworld® Consultant
The sheer volume of information and ongoing maintenance of procurement system qualification takes an enormous amount of time and attention to detail. However, securing work with large operators means procurement systems like ISNetworld® aren’t optional. Highly rated qualifications can be the difference between landing a contract or being passed over, ad it makes good financial sense to work with a safety consultant for the best results. SafetyPro offers consulting for all procurement sites, including ISNetworld®, as well as a variety of safety packages to take your compliance and ratings to the next level.
